Archive for the ‘Cholesterol & Insulin Resistance’ Category

You hear about it in the news a lot: the obesity epidemic. Australia and the United States seem to alternate year to year with who is the most obese nation – but we’re never far from the top!

What exactly does this mean? Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Just so you can visualise: a 1.65m person becomes obese at 82kg. A BMI of 25-29 puts you in the “overweight” category. We do accurate BMI BioImpedance Screenings at New Leaf so that people know EXACTLY where they stand, but also look at fat mass, muscle mass, muscle quality and hydration – all of which can impact on your BMI and general health.

But is obesity really so bad? The resounding answer is “Yes!” In case you need convincing, here are 10 sobering reasons to lose weight:
1. Heart Disease

Excess fat, especially at your waist, raises triglyceride and bad cholesterol levels, lowers good cholesterol, increases blood pressure and damages your blood vessel system — all of which put you at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.

2. Cancer

Obesity is linked to increased risk of cancers of the oesophagus, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), colon, rectum, kidney, pancreas, thyroid and gallbladder, and possibly other types of cancer as well, according to the National Cancer Institute.

3. Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes, Type 2, develops most often in middle-aged men and women who are overweight or obese — especially when those excess kilos manifest as belly fat. But adults aren’t the only ones at risk. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common among overweight and obese children and teens as well.

4. Heartburn

Norwegian researchers have found that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has increased by almost 50% in only 10 years. The reason? The rise in obesity. “Increased weight — especially abdominal obesity — increases the pressure over the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the closure mechanism between the stomach and esophagus,” explains study author Dr. Eivind Ness-Jensen, senior resident in internal medicine and gastroenterology at Levanger Hospital in Norway. “The pressure forces the sphincter to open more frequently and for longer durations, promoting reflux of acidic content from the stomach to the esophagus.”

5. Immunity and Influenza

As rates of obesity continue to rise, the number of deaths from the flu could rise too. Recent research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that obesity is associated with an impaired immune response to the influenza vaccination.

6. Depression

Obesity in women is linked to a 37% increase in major depression, and the two conditions often trigger and influence each other. Heavy women also have more frequent thoughts of suicide, according to the American Psychological Association.

7. Disability

No surprise here. Carrying around excess weight puts a lot more stress on your skeleton and limits mobility. According to the CDC, people with arthritis are more likely to be obese. What’s more, Americans over the age 50 will collectively lose the equivalent of 86 million healthy years of life due to the combination of obesity and knee arthritis, say researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. And scientists at the University of New Hampshire found that overweight and obese women had an average of 24% less leg strength and 20% slower walking speed than normal-weight study participants.

8. Gum Disease

Too much body fat can even affect your oral health, putting you at higher risk for periodontal disease, according to a recent study conducted at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry.

9. Infertility, Gestational Diabetes and Birth Defects

Heavy women experience more miscarriages and pregnancy complications (such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia) and are more likely to give birth to babies with birth defects. In addition, obesity can lower the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). A man’s fertility suffers too: Obesity is associated with low sperm motility and altered testosterone levels.

10. Quality of Life

Chronic disease, disability, depression and other health problems all chip away at joie de vivre and longevity. According to research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, obesity significantly reduces “quality adjusted life years,” due to poor health and premature death caused by excess weight.

And if individual health woes don’t provide enough reasons to lose weight, consider the fact that obesity can have a tremendous impact on the wallet as well. According to a new study from Cornell University, obesity now accounts for almost 21% of all US health care costs, and Australia usually follows the U.S. trends. In fact, obesity now adds more to health care costs than smoking cigarettes.

So if you’ve been ignoring those extra kilos, it’s time to open your eyes. The best reasons to lose weight are simple: long life, good physical health and emotional well-being. And a little extra financial security doesn’t hurt, either.

Let’s think about diabetes for a moment. By the time diabetes is found medically, often the pancreas can no longer make insulin and drugs are given – for the rest of our lives!

Of course there are genetic reasons for diabetes – but it’s amazing how many of us, perhaps knowingly, perhaps not – cause the destruction of our own pancreatic cells. The pancreas makes at least 8 known hormones – by the time we have diabetes, doctors tell us it’s too late. Is this true? Do you simply trust your doctor 100% without a second thought?

I’ve been working with the health of the pancreas since 1995 and I find that assuming the cells aren’t totally dead, they can be resurrected! But let’s look at what happens in the 5, 10, 20 years before we’re diagnosed with diabetes… Some combination of the following will have happened, and generally we’ll turn a blind eye if it doesn’t suit our fun times and our lifestyle…

putting on weight – tummy measurements over 32.5 inches for women and over 34.5 inches for men (or our BMI is over 30) increase inflammatory hormones – which in turn lowers the amount of digestive hormones released from stomach, small intestines, pancreas, liver and gall bladder. Losing weight is challenging if a. you don’t make up your mind to do it b. you don’t find the right weight loss process and c. you don’t have the support in the background to manage the detoxification throughout the process. We love the keto diets; shake it programmes and HCG Rapid weight loss processes. Sometimes you can do it with just nutritional support, but not very often…

are you insulin resistant? So you haven’t as yet shown up as having diabetes but you suspect you’re on your way (and in denial perhaps?) Do you have any of the following symptoms that you’ve been wondering if it’s linked to a pre-diabetic condition?

thirsty all the time?

wake through the night and need water?

sugar cravings? poor blood sugar?

need carbohydrates with every meal?

moody if you’ve missed a meal?

headaches if you miss a meal?

alcohol cravings?

poor digestion?

fatty liver?

hunger?

memory issues – poor memory is linked to dementia which is linked to high levels of insulin destroying the extremities (the brain)

fatigue?

blurred vision

stress – stress is known to inhibit digestive hormones as well. Do you sweep your stress under the carpet? Or do you do anything about it? We support stress with kinesiology, acupuncture, nutritional and herbal medications – we support lifestyle choices such as lowering alcohol levels; yoga; eating a healthy diet; stretching; exercise and pilates… What is your greatest de-stressor!!

diet – there is so much misinformation out there in relation to diet and mostly doctors and dieticians support high carbohydrate diets, with plenty of servings of grain daily. This is ludicrous given the masses of information out there about how an imbalance of carbohydrates in the diet exhaust the pancreas. It makes me so cranky! In order to reverse pancreatic damage you need to give it a rest! For months! Cut out the wheat, grains, sugars, alcohol, cereals, breads, cakes, pastries! You can HEAL your PANCREAS!! Eating badly is fun, but it’s still a choice to create damage in our bodies. Kinesiology can support you in finding out what foods your body is having issues with – what’s slowing down your metabolism? Your thyroid? Activating your adrenals? Messing with your pancreas?

pain killers – some people find one of the side effects of taking pain killing medication is that their digestive tract plays up. As pain killers reduce inflammation (obviously what we’re after if we take them) they also accidentally shut down other inflammatory processes such as digestive functions and immune function.

addictions – many of our addictions mess with our pancreas. Alcohol. Sugar. 2pm chocolate. Soft drinks. Diet soft drinks. By ‘self-medicating’ we are often slowly poisoning our bodies (and we know it) and just keep hoping we’re going to get away with it.

toxicity – toxins can bind with receptors all over the body – and inhibit the release of enzymes and hormones. When we’ve had lots of toxicity due to chemotherapy, radiation, medications for pain, anti-biotics and vaccinations, not to mention pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified foods – OMG where does it end – any organ of the body that cops the overload of toxicity can suffer.

So… What do we do about it?

start working on improving your body composition. We want the BMI below 25.

are you a skinny fat person? We can do a BioImpedance Screening and check out the fat mass; muscle mass and hydration levels – if we’re skinny fat our body can actually be acting as though our BMI is over 30.

deal with your stress. Find someone you trust and start dealing with it until it doesn’t hurt to deal with it anymore!

own your diet, own your choices! Start chatting to us about what foods will really start moving you in the direction towards health.

improve the health of your body – find out which supplements you need! Talk to us at New Leaf about what reverses your sugar cravings.

improve the health of your stem cells so that you can repair your damaged cells? Stem Cell Nutrition supports better health and wellbeing overall. Only stem cells replace destroyed cells – of any type – in your body. Check out these products at madonnaguy.cerule.com

start finding ways of detoxifying and reducing your unneeded medicationsand addictions– this takes time, energy and effort – but if you’re fatigued and have symptoms, isn’t it time to give your body a chance to heal?

get some testing done at New Leaf to find out WHAT you NEED…

Chromium and vanadium are two ingredients of insulin. If these are low in your body you CAN’T make insulin. Our OligoScan will tell you this.

Insulin resistance testing – this quick test lets us know if you’re on the way to diabetes. The OligoScan will also let you know.

Accurate BMI – find out if your body is highly inflamed? Looking at your blood and doing a VLA BioImpedance Screening can let you know how inflamed your body is…

Diabetes is considered an auto-immune condition – this means your body is inflamed, has immune issues and leaky gut, and oxidative stress. Our testing will let you know where you’re sitting on this see-saw! and for number 9…. this one’s up to you… what’s your big trigger!?

Good morning! Challenges with maintaining our weight throughout life are going to be constant and inevitable. Sugar is constantly in the news lately – yes, manufacturers of our food deliberately add the exact amount which makes us addicted! No wonder it’s so challenging.

Diabetes in Australia is increasing at such a rapid rate that it’s estimated that 50% of us will have dementia by the age of 50within 25years – and diabetes is a major cause. This is ridiculous! We’ve modified our food, DNA and genes so much these days our cells become primed to develop chronic illness such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease so much earlier in our bodies than even 30 years ago.

May favourite 3 products for sugar cravings are:

1. Bactrex and Ultra Flora SB Dysbiosis – for underlying candida, fungus, bacterial infections that make us want to eat sweets (they love a sweet, acidic environment!) 3-6 daily depending on the severity and combination of the infections.

2. Gymnema tablets – known as ‘the sugar killer’ in Indian – it’s a herb which over a period of time makes our tongue need less sweet. Long-term (2 year) studies have shown pancreatic cells regnerating with gymnema use. 4-6 daily when sugar cravings are bad.

It doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally someone struggles with detox-side-effects of HCG…

We have a client at the moment who’s really struggling…. dizziness, tiredness, exhaustion. Why? Many people have heaps of energy on HCG due to the fact that as we’re releasing brown fat lots of minerals and vitamins are being released (it’s brown because of iron, zinc etc etc) BUT it also holds toxins.

Fat is an insulator. Our bloodstream is constantly removing toxins and either trying to remove them or storing them in our fat mass (if our organs of detoxification …are sluggish). This is a good thing – until we detoxifiy – then we need to support our organs of detoxification so that we can move forwards safely.

Dizziness, tiredness and exhaustionare generally a side-effect due to toxins being released back out into the bloodstream from the brown fat.

– As insulin is released from the tummy fat, we can get highs and lows of blood sugar– making us feel cranky and moody, hungry and challenged.

– As heavy metals are released from brown fat, they can bind with our minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium – which can inhibit our body from relaxing our muscles and nerves, giving us cramps and muscle twitches and somtimes nerve pain.

– Fat (like cholesterol) that is known to store on capillary and artery walls doesn’t attach to the capilliaries or arteries unless it’s full of toxins – heavy metals, bacterial and viral particles, insulin…so as we get into deeper rounds of HCG and start moving this type of fat we can release old infections and feel a little sick or fluey(if the immune system isn’t coping with the levels of toxins being released).

Chromium Plus; Gluco Balance; Gymnema; Resist X; Lipoic Acid: if our insulin is out of whack on HCG we need at least 3-6 daily of one or a combination of these. Losing weight with these supplements can not only reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes but sometimes reverse it completely once your cells heal!

We all know that being overweight is unhealthy. But many don’t realise the complete list of health issues that can come from being over or under weight … it’s all about how out of balance we are. We can support everything to do with weight loss or weight gain – how long it takes depends on how out of balance we are!

For example, here’s a few crucial ideas and concepts:

Healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) is 20-24.99

Overweight BMI is 25-29.99

Obese BMI is 30-39.99. (This is 20% more than highest optimal weight)

Morbidly Obese BMI is over 40

And yes, footballers and weight lifters are an obvious group who we would look at the VLA carefully, as they’re huge but not obese!

SUCKED IN your abdomen should be less than 32.5 inches / 82.55 cm for women OR 34.5 inches / 87.6 cm for men

Our VLA BioImpedance Screeningshows us where your body is sitting. But there’s more to it than that (what a surprise!!) You can be a ‘healthy overweight person’ if your fat cells aren’t toxic and if your muscles aren’t marbled with fat. But once the body is inflamed, it eats away at the muscle mass and creates fat tissue. We would recommend our VLA BioImpedance Screening; Insulin Resistance Testing; and OligoScan to check this out.

Sarcopoenic Obesity:

This is where we are ‘skinny fat’. Not enough muscle, too much fat. It adds to how ‘out of balance’ we are. You know you see young girls these days who have pale, marbled skin (as opposed to muscley). They often (according to VLA BioImpedance Screening) are the correct weight and BMI but coming to us for low energy, poor immunity, inability to concentrate, cranky and hormonal!! Well, problems associated with Sarcopoenic Obesity are:

less muscle mass, therefore less ATP (energy molecules). The less muscle mass, the less cellular energy being created.

poor hormonal balance – we need a combination of protein (muscle); fats and nutrients to make hormones: the body can eat away muscle mass to create hormones if our diet is deficient

hard to diagnose or recognise (if you don’t know a practitioner with a VLA!) since these people are often healthy weight.

we can also be obese (more than 20% of optimal weight) and have a huge deficit of muscle mass

if the COMBINATION of excess fat PLUS how much muscle you need to gain, adds up to 20% of your weight – you get the same health issues as being obese.

Obesity – 20% more than highest healthy weight

historically our bodies gain fat to keep us alive

therefore, it’s linked to survival

therefore, it’s linked to an overactive adrenal system; a slowed down thyroid system, poor liver and digestive function, inability to store fluid in the cells. It gets to the point where even when life is good, the stress hormones being released (all the time) make it harder and harder to feel happy and optimistic.

abdominal/visceral fat particularly is linked to releasing AT LEAST 32 inflammatory hormones at all times!

abdominal fat constantly releases fatty acids into the bloodstream which overloads the liver and small intestines

these fatty acids make our body more acidic; are linked to mineral deficiencies; leaky gut and poor immunity

obesity increases the risk of all disease including heart disease; cancer; diabetes; dementia and stress

There’s a lot of interesting information out there about HCG. We’ve been using it clinically for 2 years with VLA Bioimpedance Analysis Screenings & Insulin Resistance Testing and find it amazing. It works correctly for long-term weight loss when the plan is followed correctly! We also find that higher fat mass is linked with stress hormones so unexpected benefits include less anxiety, less depression and less stress!

There are many positive impact of HCG has on all of our hormones as our weight reduces. When our BMI is over 30 our fat mass becomes the number one hormone producing tissue in our bodies – controlling so many things:

* Supports fertility for both men and women – losing 6+ kilos can increase chances of falling pregnant by a whopping 40%. IVF is only successful in around 5% of cases. The combination of weight loss and IVF definitely improves outcomes for our clients.

* Pain & Inflammation: when our BMI is over 30 we are constantly releasing inflammatory hormones – our body then stores fluid to dilute these hormones. Eventually it raises our BP and this can be the first indication of inflammation.

* Weight is also linked to immune system issues. When our feel good hormones are down and our stress levels are high (BMI over 30 does this) then our immune system takes its cue from the hormones and starts to shut down. Like a petulant teenager, the immune system says ‘you don’t want to be here? me neither!’

* Blood Sugar Balancing: we’ve found pre-diabetic/diabetic clients can come off their medication (not Type 1) after HCG. Because fat mass controls so many hormones in the body, insulin resistance is a huge problem upsetting sleep, energy, stress levels and other hormones. HCG often takes people back into normal cholesterol levels as well as less insulin resistance!

* Energy Improvement: because fat mass increases adrenalin and stress hormones, it tends to switch off/down our thyroid and energy production pathways. As the fat mass reduces energy generally improves – especially when combined with detoxification supplements throughout the process.

Always find out what supplements will be most appropriate for you throughout the HCG process. Phone consultations available at New Leaf.

Perspiration is recognised by health practitioners worldwide as perhaps the most effective method of removing both difficult chemical and heavy metal toxins from the body. The combination of “resonant absorption” and low heat makes this the detox method of choice for chronically ill patients as well as those that are well and wish to stay that way by reducing their “toxic burden”.

Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine wrote more than two thousand years ago “Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease.” During a fever the functioning of the immune system is stimulated, whilst the growth of bacteria and virus is forced to slow down. Fever is the body’s natural defense against bacteria, viruses and microbes. Heat triggers the production of infection-fighting white blood cells. The result is immune system improvement. The generation of antibodies speeds up, as does the production of interferon, an anti viral protein that also has powerful healing properties.

Far Infra-red sauna is one of the most effective forms of heat treatment it’s technology allows the radiant heat to penetrate the body rather than heating the air in the sauna. It is also better tolerated by those who have trouble with the intense heat of traditional saunas as well as producing maximum health benefit with lower ambient heat. As the pores in the skin open up millions of sweat glands start to excrete, the body rids itself of metabolic and other waste products. Sweat contains almost the same elements as urine and for this reason, the skin is sometimes called the ‘third kidney’. It is estimated that as much as 30% of bodily wastes are eliminated by way of perspiration.

Far Infrared Sauna:

Is well tolerated by most healthy adults and older children.

Boosts immune function and is helpful for those who are limited in their ability to sweat through exercise due to lack of energy or physical limitations, such as injury of back pain

Is a viable and efficient means of eliminating toxins from the body, thus allviating any symptoms realted to increased toxic burden

Can help lower high blood pressure

Can be helpful for patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis.

It decreases pain and increases mobility in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Is beneficial for people with chronic fatigue and low immunity

Supports skin health and helps to treat skin conditions

Always remember to re-hydrate following heat therapies, drink extra amounts of water throughout the day.

Embarking on a health journey is a brave move to make. It means looking at the issues you may have avoided for a while and facing them head on. It’s a process that is often scary yet can also be richly rewarding. When you are the best version of yourself you can be, you can really shine and be there for those close to you.

It can be said that it’s a means of coming back to your basic self – seeing your body as a precious temple and paying attention to what you really need. It’s treating yourself gently and gaining a greater connection to the whole of you – body and mind. As one of my favourite authors Sarah Avant Stover puts it – the only way out is in and through. To go through our health issues rather than going around them is the only real way to back to balance and health.

At New Leaf, we are committed to your success in this process. We know it’s yours, to go through in your way. Offering a harmonious range of therapies, we seek to find the real cause of your health issues and guide you back to balance and health.

We see your journey to optimal health as a partnership between yourself and us. Thus, we have a few suggestions for you in order that you get the best results from your treatment with us:

Eat a fresh, wholefoods diet. When you eat fresh, vital food, you feel just that. Everything we eat nourishes our cells. If we consider that the body is really the only vessel we have to take us through this lifetime, it makes sense to nourish it with the best food possible.

Drink a minimum of 2 litres of pure filtered water daily. Besides hydration, there are countless benefits of drinking adequate pure water. Improved energy, detoxification, digestion, skin condition and weight loss are just a few.

Limit caffeine, or better still, cut it altogether. Caffeine creates extra work for your liver, and can place stress on the adrenal glands and nervous system. It also promotes dehydration and in the long term, fatigue. There are many delicious herbal teas and coffee alternatives available in supermarkets and health food stores.

Sleep 8 hours a night. While sleeping as little as possible in modern society is often considered admirable behaviour, the truth is, it promotes premature aging, weight gain, can increase stress and complicate many other health issues. It may require changing your usual routine a little, but getting 8 hours of quality sleep a night is an investment in your health.

Spend a few minutes a day alone, doing some quiet breath awareness in a comfortable seated position. All you need do is focus on your breath with your eyes closed. This can have wonderfully beneficial effects on your nervous system, improving mood, reducing stress and creating calm. A calm body heals well!

Increase body movement. This means different things to different people. Start with where you are at in terms of your current physical fitness, and do what feels right for you. Even if it just means adding incidental exercise by taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to a colleague’s desk rather than emailing, or taking a short walk before or after work. Start where you are at the moment and build gently from there.

These are simple steps you can take today to improve your body’s ability to balance and heal. You can do one at a time, a few, or all of them, whatever feels right and good for you. It’s up to you.

We look forward to supporting you in achieving a state of greater health.